Construction for the LAX Automated People Mover train guideway superstructure over Century Boulevard was completed, airport officials announced Thursday.
The four-month process of connecting the north and south ends of the guideway above Century Boulevard was completed on Dec. 16, according to LAX.
Images: Opening in 2023, Here's What the LAX Automated People Mover Will Look Like
The 2.25-mile elevated guideway is now 87% complete.
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"The Automated People Mover system is coming to life before our eyes, and the sight of the nearly completed guideway helps Angelenos and our guests visualize just how this system will help transform LAX," said Justin Erbacci, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports.
"Over the course of four months, the guideway section over Century was safely constructed above one of busiest streets in the city with minimal disruptions to traffic below. We congratulate our project team for reaching this milestone and eagerly anticipate completing the full guideway superstructure next year."
The milestone, which also transformed the airport's skyline, was achieved with an innovative cast-in-place segmental construction technique, in which the guideway is built in short segments, one piece at a time. The span of the guideway above Century Boulevard required the construction of 13 segments, each about 15 feet long.
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Construction crews are also using the cast-in-place segmental construction technique to construct the remaining sections of the guideway.
"Building the (Automated People Mover) has required that we employ innovative and creative solutions to a number of logistical challenges, making it a truly exciting project to work on," said Laura Ware of LINXS Constructors. "Using cast-in-place segmental construction is a perfect example; while it is an uncommon technique, it was determined to be the best solution when traffic conditions and space constraints on material staging were considered."
The 2.25-mile Automated People Mover is part of a $14.5 billion modernization project at LAX, the largest airport project of its kind in the U.S. The train system will have six total stations -- three inside the Central Terminal Area and three outside the CTA, which will connect the train system to L.A. Metro and a car rental facility.
Officials expect the train system to be ready in 2023, and the full modernization project is expected to be completed ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, being held in Los Angeles.
